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In LaTeX math mode, type > for the greater-than sign, \geq (or its synonym \ge) for greater than or equal to, and \gg for much greater than. The AMS variants such as \geqslant and \gtrsim need the amssymb package. For the opposite sign, see less than in LaTeX.
What it is used for in research
Inequalities appear wherever a paper states a threshold or a bound: significance cut-offs, sample-size minimums, convergence conditions and order-of-magnitude statements. Each needs a relation symbol that LaTeX spaces as a relation, which is why you type the commands below in math mode rather than pasting characters from elsewhere.
Install or access
The basic > and \geq need no package. For the AMS symbols in the table below, add this line to your preamble:
\usepackage{amssymb}Overleaf’s symbol list notes that some of the symbols it lists require loading the amssymb package. The amssymb source defines all the symbols in the AMS msam and msbm fonts. Display equations written with equation* need amsmath.
Step-by-step: write greater-than symbols
How to write > in LaTeX
- Enter math mode with
$...$,\(...\)or\begin{math}; Overleaf describes the choice between these as a matter of taste. - Type the character:
$x > y$. Overleaf’s list of relation operators includes< >directly.
How to write ≥ (greater than or equal to)
Type $x \geq y$. The LaTeX2e reference lists it as “Greater than or equal to (relation)” and \ge as a synonym for \geq.
How to write much greater than
Type $x \gg y$. The LaTeX2e reference lists \gg as “much greater than” and gives \ll as its much-less-than counterpart.
Greater-than sign in running text
Most symbol commands work in math mode only. For a greater-than sign in ordinary text, the LaTeX2e reference lists \textgreater as a text-mode command; it also states that since the February 2020 LaTeX release all text symbols are available by default.
How to use <> in LaTeX
The sources checked list no single command for the combined <> sign. Type the two characters separately where you need them, use \neq if you mean not equal (the guide on not-equivalent symbols in LaTeX covers that family), or \lessgtr and \gtrless if you mean the AMS “less than or greater than” relations, which are separate symbols with a different meaning.
Output and how to read it
The commands below that come from the amssymb source are declared as math relations (\mathrel), so LaTeX puts relation spacing around them.
| Command | Meaning | Needs |
|---|---|---|
> |
Greater than | Nothing extra |
\geq, \ge |
Greater than or equal to | Nothing extra |
\gg |
Much greater than | Nothing extra |
\geqslant, \geqq |
Greater-than-or-equal variants | amssymb |
\gtrsim, \gtrapprox |
Greater than or similar; greater than or approximately | amssymb |
\gtrless, \gtreqless |
Greater than or less than; greater, equal or less | amssymb |
\eqslantgtr |
Equal or slanted greater than | amssymb |
\ngtr, \ngeq |
Not greater than; not greater than or equal | amssymb |
\gneq, \gneqq, \ngeqslant, \ngeqq, \gvertneqq |
Negated and strict variants | amssymb |
The “Needs” column rests on the amssymb v3.01 source (2013/01/14), which declares each AMS command listed; the plain-language meanings are glosses of the command names.
Troubleshooting
- Undefined control sequence on
\geqslant,\gtrsimor\ngtr: these are declared byamssymb; add\usepackage{amssymb}to the preamble. - The symbol is missing or wrongly spaced: check that it is inside math mode. Most symbol commands are math-mode only.
equation*is not defined: loadamsmath, as Overleaf notes for the starred equation environment.
Free ways to try these commands
Overleaf is an online LaTeX editor, and its documentation is the source for the inline and display math examples above; paste any line from this page into a document that loads amssymb to test it. For web pages rather than PDFs, see MathJax and LaTeX math. To show inequality bounds visually, see number lines in LaTeX.
FAQ
How to write < in LaTeX?
Type $a < b$ in math mode. Variants are in the less-than guide.
How to write >= in LaTeX?
Type \geq (or \ge) in math mode. Typing the two characters >= gives a greater-than sign followed by an equals sign, not the single combined symbol.
How to use <> in LaTeX?
See the step above: type the two signs separately, or use \neq if you mean not equal.
What symbol is ≥?
It is “greater than or equal to”. In LaTeX math mode it is \geq, with \ge as a synonym.
How do I write approximately greater than or not greater than?
Use \gtrapprox or \gtrsim for approximately greater than, and \ngtr for not greater than; all three are declared by amssymb.
Sources
- Overleaf, Mathematical expressions (read 2026-11-07)
- Overleaf, List of Greek letters and math symbols (read 2026-11-07)
- LaTeX2e unofficial reference manual, Math symbols and Text symbols (read 2026-11-07)
- American Mathematical Society, amssymb v3.01 (2013/01/14) (read 2026-11-07)
